travel tech insights

3 Business Process Challenges for Travel Agents

Today’s travel agent is in an interesting position. Some travel industry insiders believe traditional brick-and-mortar travel agents are set to experience a resurgence due to renewed interest from millennial travelers, while others believe traditional travel agents have long outlasted their utility in an online-driven industry. The truth of the matter is most likely somewhere in the middle of these two ideas, but either way travel agents in today’s complex, global travel landscape are faced with a number of challenges in remaining a relevant part of the industry, particularly when it comes to business processes.

For traditional travel agents, the concept of business processes - a series of related business actions or transactions resulting in a certain goal or objective - can be a major pain point for agencies still relying on outdated methods of completing transactions between wholesales, suppliers, distributors, and customers. These methods - often relying on manual data entry, management, and customer relations - lack the flexibility, agility, and transparency travel agents need to get the right products to the right people at the right time. This lack of speed and convenience can seriously hamper a travel agency’s entire value chain and be a determining factor in how healthy and stable a travel agency truly is.

Topics: travel erp travel agency travel business Business Process Automation travel agents

Business Over Pleasure: Top Needs for Today’s Corporate Traveler

If there’s one emerging trend in today’s travel industry, it’s that business is exceeding pleasure.

recent report issued by the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office found business travel from top overseas markets increased by more than 15 percent in 2015, a growth rate much higher than that of leisure travelers. The report estimates leisure travel from top markets grew at a rate of just 9 percent, a figure that undercut projections from industry analysts.

But it’s not just the U.S. market that experienced an increased of business travelers at the expense of leisure travel during the last year. European countries such as France and Germany also saw sharp increases in the number of business travelers, as did markets further east such as Japan and Australia. 

Topics: Business Travel travel business travel trends Corporate Travel

Customer Reviews bring benefits to Travel Agency Websites

Online product and services reviews have shifted transaction influence from the provider to the consumer, rewarding companies who deliver excellent customer service and experience, and making life difficult for those who don’t. Within the travel industry, TripAdvisor delivers millions of customer judgements across travel providers, all of whom recognize the value in keeping in the customer’s good graces.

However, not all travel websites apply the lessons and value of customer reviews to themselves, certainly providing consumers with travel provider reviews but not necessarily reviews for their own role in the customer’s travel experience process.

Topics: Travel Industry travel technology travel website travel agency travel business travel agency website customer reviews online customer review travel planning

2016 – Digital Transformation arrives at the Travel Agency

The travel agency has seen its share of changes over recent years. Marketing channels used to be called the front door of the agency or the telephone. Then online booking arrived in the travel industry, bringing with it: pricing transparency; e-commerce; new distribution relationships and altered commission structures.

For most travel businesses the first reactions to these changes were reactive changes to their business models – and it made sense. When price transparency drops margins and commissions are shrinking, finding ways to cut costs and increase efficiencies provides more immediate relief than creating new revenue streams with higher profitability. However, in 2016 proactive changes in travel agency business models will likely accelerate, particularly in the area of digital transformation.

Topics: travel technology travel erp travel company travel agency Big Data travel business travel experience digital transformation 360 Customer View

Yes, a Travel Business needs a Travel ERP Solution

To the public eye travel is a straightforward concept focused on destinations, activities, tickets and itineraries. For those who work in the travel industry it’s always been a complicated set of interrelationships between retailers, wholesalers and service providers – made, if anything, even more challenging by the global reach of the Internet. Two of the more visible ways the Internet has changed the travel are: 1) raised customer expectations for a unique and amazing travel experience; 2) price transparency – customers can book much of their travel directly online, or have travel plans in mind and quotes in hand before the first conversation with atravel agent. 

Topics: Travel Industry travel technology travel erp Travel Management Company travel company travel agency travel business TINA web-based travel erp dcs plus